Thomas Schumacher Will Take on New Role as Disney Theatrical's Chief Creative Officer

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Thomas Schumacher will step down as President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions to take on a new role as the Chief Creative Officer.

Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart will take over as Executive Vice Presidents of the division, overseeing the development, creation and execution of Disney's legitimate Stage Entertainment worldwide.

The division's credits include Beauty and the Beast, King David, The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, On the Record, High School Musical, TARZAN, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Shakespeare in Love, Freaky Friday and Frozen.

Disney is currently respresented on Broadway with Aladdin and The Lion King. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Casey Nicholaw will direct Hercules in Hamburg, Germany in 2024. Other developing projects include a stage version of The Greatest Showman and a reimagined revival of Aida. 

Schumacher served as Executive Producer for the live-action film Beauty and the Beast. As President of Walt Disney Feature Animation, he oversaw some 21 animated features, including The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tarzan, Hercules and Lilo & Stitch, and worked closely with Pixar on their first five films. Mr. Schumacher is the author of "How Does the Show Go On? An Introduction to the Theater." He is on the executive committee of Broadway Cares, a longtime Board Member of The Actors Fund a former mentor for the TDF Open Doors program, and is a member of numerous boards. He is a former mentor for the TDF Open Doors program and serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University.